Various contemporary mechanisms exist that allow users to connect with companies via the Internet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,391 to Meltzer, et al., describes a system that allows businesses to connect with potential customers. In the described system, XML based documents or schemas describe how two or more entities, such as a manufacturer and a supplier, communicate to initiate and conclude certain transactions for goods and/or services. A Business Information Document (BID) provides a common format that describes how the parties will communicate. Each of the entities interested in communicating via the Internet must adhere to the BID to ensure compliance with a process that must be agreed to ahead of time.
Microsoft Corporation has made significant investments for many years on business-to-business e-commerce applications. For example, Microsoft has defined an Application Integration Framework (AIF) that defines how data is exchanged. Also, in a related field, Microsoft has produced systems and methods for the design of electronic forms that pertain to visual elements and the creation of hierarchical schemas in creation of forms. However, no current applications exist that pertain to the interaction of remote websites and an application that is able to process data that has been entered into a form.
Various other patents, patent applications, and white papers relating to buyers and sellers and communications therebetween exist. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,006 to Verma, et al., describes a method and apparatus designed to facilitate price comparison via a buyer and that is presented to the buyer via the World Wide Web. U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,375 to Salmon, et al., describes a computer-implemented system of displaying products to potential sellers via the World Wide Web thereby allowing the user to select and review the product description. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0130044 to Rowan, et al., describes a system that takes in a buyer's requirements and immediately constructs options specific to the buyer's needs based on broader inputs from any number of sellers. Any of these options can then be purchased immediately.
While these documents address connecting buyers with sellers, none of the cited references address communications between a buyer and seller once the seller has sent responses to the buyer or address a process whereby a user can enter values and wherein an item can be automatically ordered if the results from the seller fall within the values.
Therefore, what is needed is a mechanism that overcomes the described problems and limitations.